I am pleased to report that green building is alive and well in Jackson Hole where it is still most prevalent in the commercial area. However, this is not unusual because, in the past couple of years, specifications for commercial projects nationwide have often required that LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification be achieved, particularly if they receive government funding or are a government agency, such as national parks and HUD. The Lawrence Rockefeller Visitor Center in Grand Teton National Park, The Davey Jackson Elementary School and several public housing projects built locally by Habitat for Humanity and the Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust have achieved LEED certification. And all these projects involved local architects and builders.
This is good news because, during this long recession, government sponsored or subsidized projects have been some of the few projects available to architects and contractors, who might not have been exposed to the requirements of LEED as soon if there had been more projects available in the private sector. Secondly, many of these same architects and contractors are the professionals who will design or renovate your Jackson home in the future using LEED standards.
There have also been several private residences in Jackson Hole that have achieved LEED certification or have been constructed according to this standard but did not register for LEED certification. These two LEED certified homes are different architectural styles that fit within their environment very nicely. The Hawtin residence fits in beautifully in a sagebrush landscape north of Jackson, while the Carter house fits in among other rustic western style homes in 3 Creek Ranch, which is located just south of Jackson.
Residences built according to LEED but not registered or certified include the home on the west bank in the Willowbrook subdivision (see my article titled “Green home on West Bank of Jackson Hole“). There have also been very desirable contemporary style condominium and townhouse projects completed in Jackson Hole that meet many LEED standards. These include Pine Glades, Pearl at Jackson and Hotel Terra.
In a word, the talent and experience is here to design, build and landscape green homes according to sustainable standards, whether it be LEED, Energy Star or other national or regionally recognized programs.
How can I find out which homes in Jackson Hole are LEED certified, or have the green features important to me? The answer is coming early in 2013. The Teton Board of Realtors will have green features in its database for use by our local realtors to search for you. So, for example, let’s say you are interested in a home with passive solar features or an HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator). Your realtor will be able to provide those listings for your review.
There are also green features/sustainability issues that are unique to Jackson Hole. They are addressed in the database of green features which your realtor will be able to share with you. For example, we are blessed with an abundance of wildlife, and we are within the corridor of the second largest migration in the Western hemisphere of a particular species of animal, the pronghorn. Keeping this corridor open and retaining the landscape as natural as possible are very important considerations and responsibilities as property owners in Jackson Hole.
Therefore, please use your realtor as a resource to learn about these unique sustainability issues and corresponding green features that will help you help us maintain this very special place. I also encourage you to read some of the other articles in my blog that go into detail on the advantages of the LEED process, its components, and green features and technology in general. Also check regularly for my write-ups on homes in Jackson Hole with green features. There is a lot of misunderstanding out there about the meaning and value of using green products and green building standards. My goal is to demystify them for you, because the results are well worth it. Log in – Sign Up to comment!
Don Alsted
http://jacksonholegreenrealestate.com/
